Search - Dufay, P. Davies, T. Davies :: Guillaume Dufay: Complete Secular Music - The Medieval Ensemble of London / Peter Davies & Timothy Davies

Good but a bit outdated

Mark A. Leach | Columbia, South Carolina United States | 07/08/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I hate to be a spoilsport on the outstanding ratings of this set. It is certainly an invaluable collection of the secular songs, and as a musicologist interested in this repertory I'd hate to be without it. But some poor performance practices--for example, the failure to recognize that the introductory melismas are actually equipped with the opening vowel (and are hence vocal)--leads to bizarre consequences. One consequence is that there are introductory "instrumental" passages and "instrumental interludes" that make nonsense of the musical continuity in some pieces: continuous vocal performance is required. Dufay surely did not intend the strange alternation of instrumental and vocal passages heard in this recording, I think. The whole set needs to be redone in recognition of more recent performance research."

A treasure

hcf | 12/19/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Grab this while it lasts! This is a reissue of a 1980 recording that will remain forever unsurpassed - both because its quality is so great, and also because no one in this day and age will dare to undertake such a massive project again. Think about it - the entire Dufay secular output! Listening to these songs, written more than 500 years ago, reveals how little has changed in the intervening centuries. Many styles and genres came and went, but the human impulse to express emotion in a song remained the same. This is why these old songs remain so appealing today. Dufay, who was possibly the greatest composer of his time, wrote most of his secular music in the fixed medieval forms (such as rondeau, virelais and ballade), but his songs transcend the formalities because he was such a remarkable melodist. Listen to such masterpieces as Vergene Bella or Donnes L'Assault a la Fortresse to know what I mean. The informative sleeve notes explain the characteristics of each style. The recording took into consideration the latest available musicological research into Dufay and his times. To cover the entire ground, some compositions are presented here in several different versions. Vocal and instrumental pieces alternate to provide variety (as the notes inform, the pieces with incomplete texts were not vocalized). The instruments (a typical medieval array) consist of recorders, flutes, dulcians, shawns, trumpets, rebecs and fiddles; plus lute, harp and clavichord used for continuo. The singers are excellent. The recording features half of the Hilliard (in its then-existing roster): Rogers Covey-Crump, Paul Elliott, Paul Hillier & Michael George. Tenor John Elwes contributes some fine singing (particularly in the spectacular Vergene Bella, sung solo to a fiddle and rebec). The only person who is perhaps not up to the highest standards is countertenor Timothy Penrose, although his singing is definitely adequate. On balance, a very satisfying release. Buy! gkolomietz@yahoo.com"

Consistently the best Dufay recording ever

Justin Weaver | 02/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To add to the splendid comments by the first reviewer -- this is quite possibly the best, most faithful/authentic/scholarly Dufay ever recorded. It's worth every penny (and at 30 bucks this is beyond a bargain for 96 chansons!) just to hear such masterpieces as: (10 on disc 1) 'Mon cuer me fait tous dis penser' -- possibly the most gorgeous chanson of the 15th century. Plus, to hear the whole corpus of secular music presented in one huge macro-performance is extremely instructive in crystalizing one's impression of Dufay's genius. His style strikes even (especially?) the modern listener as amazingly fresh and relevant -- the liner notes and complete texts are quite an oeuvre by themselves... a lovely anthology of period formes-fixes poetry! (And, I might add -- I find all the performers, including Timothy Penrose both masterly and scholarly in their interpretations.) This is a must buy for fans of Early Music and a worthy introduction to 15th century music for those who are unfamiliar with the period but wish to invest in a guaranteed winner. You won't be disappointed! Buy now!-- Justin Weaver "